The destination is not the goal. The goal is not the destination.

You don’t need to “go” anywhere if you’re already where you want to be.

I hope I can explain this as well as it was clear to me this morning. Because I think it is of utmost importance. I’m going to take a stab to get it out but will certainly come back to it to refine and expand.

Let’s take some random person as an example. Let’s see, hmm. OK, me. Let’s make up some arbitrary “goals” or “destinations” as regards, I don’t know, writing.

1. Reach 1,000,000 people,
2. Sell 1,000,000 books,
3. Make $1,000,000.

I haven’t deeply calculated that 1 million number, it’s just a nice, big, round number. Could be anything. But I want it to be big. We’re not talking about how many pancakes I might eat or a small goal, this is one I’m willing to persevere on.

Many might argue that I will only be happy (or content, accomplished, successful, respected, etc.) when I reach one or all of those goals. I don’t see it that way–at all.

I am happy because I am on the path towards achieving those goals.

Naysayers might say that this is a cop out, a “cheat” so that I can say I’m happy along the way and that I don’t have to actually achieve anything–ever. I can just go along the path and say I’m happy along the way.

Aha, I just learned something even by writing those last lines: the naysayers (who are these people, anyway and why do I care?) have a different definition of success than I do. Oops, I just wrote “success” there whereas I had written happy earlier. So which is it: success or happiness? Again: perspective.

1. For me, success is being happy.
2. For the naysayers, success is, well, success. Maybe it’s the million books example.

This is the difference. I’m already there. I’m already happy. I’m happy because I’m on the path. I’m “successful” because I’m happy. I’m on the path because I’m successful. I think I can just interchange all of these words:

• I’m happy because I’m on the path.
• I’m on the path because I’m successful.
• I’m successful because I’m happy.

Repeat.

The naysayers will say this isn’t possible because I haven’t yet achieved my goal. Aha, we differ again. I have achieved my goal: my goal is to be on the path. My goal is to be happy. My goal is to be successful. I’m doing all of those.

No, I am all of those.

That is the difference.